Friday, April 9, 2010

Seeing as the Canadiens refuse to do it themselves, they can lock up a playoff spot tonight despite themselves if the Rangers lose to the Flyers, who may or may not be welcoming back Jeff Carter.

Should the Rangers win, particularly if they do so in overtime, then things will start getting very tight around their collar for tomorrow’s game against the Leafs. That extremely unlikely scenario whereby the Habs didn’t make the playoffs we described to you a few days ago? Well, it’s not falling into place, helped especially by the Canadiens total lack of effort last night.

If the Rangers win in OT or a shootout tonight, suddenly the Habs would be in eighth place in the conference, only one point up on New York with one game remaining for each team.

But again, if the Habs can get a single point against the 29th overall Toronto Maple Leafs at home Saturday night this is all moot. Right now, that’s a very big if.

11 comments:

Anonymous
said...

It is BEST for the Habs if the Rangers win tonight, even though still remaining alive, so the Flyers will still be one point BEHIND the Canadiens going into tomorrow night. Habs must NOT finish 8th. In either of 6th or 7th they will most probably (unless the Devils collapse) meet either Buffalo or New Jersey - 2 teams the Habs on their best days can beat. If by chance the Rangers lose a game and Habs get in by losing their last 3 games to bottom feeder Toronto after losing to Carolina and the Islanders - the Habs at #8 they wouldn't have a prayer against Washington. In the event all Habs had to do was to win over the 15th place Eastern team at home in the final game and couldn't there is no way this team even belongs in these playoffs!

Note: two seasons ago Habs finished as #1 East seed BUT only 10 points ahead of the #8 seed. Washington and with one game in hand currently is 31 points ahead of Montreal.

MathMan said... Montreal is 2-1-1 against Washington, 1-2-1 against NJ, 2-3-1 against Buffalo, and 1-3-0 against Pittsburgh.

Maybe they don't need to avoid the Washington match-up so hard. They seem to match up decently well, especially relative to the other playoff match-ups

--

Individual games of the "2nd exhibition season" means zilch! Habs went 4-0 over the Flyers 2 years ago and then Flyrers slaughtered 4-1 in games when they then met in the playoffs. But the Habs had only finished 9 points ahead of Philadelphia that year in the standings.

You think Habs matchup wellwith Capitals? Are you serious? Washington currently with one game in hand not only are 31 points IN FRONT of the Habs, but have also scored 97 MORE GOALS.

IF Habs sneak in as #8 they will be out in 4 and even in a more embarrassing way than last year. Only hope they have is getting in at #6 or #7 and resume playing the way they were a month ago and hope someone ELSE knocks off Washington or it will be 17 years and counting since the Habs even won TWO series in the same year.

The entire management must be flushed by the Molsons brothers from Boivin on down! There are good people, there are winners out there!

If you're going to try to validate your point by putting up an arbitrary cut-off date, you may want to at least show how much Montreal was dominated by Washington and Pittsburgh over that span of time. Of course, when you look at it...

Jan 5 Montreal 2 Washington 5Feb 10 Washington 5 Montreal 6 OT

Feb 6 Pittsburgh 3 Montreal 5

Montreal won the last meeting with both the teams that (you claim) so badly outclass them.

It was you who posted regular season numbers NOT me. But since you did, yes the last part of the season is more relative than what happened at the start of the year.

You now posted 3 scores. Look at those scores. Habs allowed 13 goals in 3 games which is over 4 goals a game average. Which is way WAY higher than the Habs GAA of either goalie against the other teams OR the rest of the league combined. AND Habs have a serious problem scoring goals especially right now.

And I just told you that with a game in hand Washington has already scored 97 MORE goals than the Habs.

Allowed 13 goals in 3 games or 4.33 goals allowed per game. Which is MUCH HIGHER than Habs goals against average of either Hab goalie against Buffalo or New Jersey or the rest of the league combined. And Habs at present canNOT score goals.

Washington will have scored OVER 100 MORE GOALS than the Habs did by the end of game #82. Yes Washington with Ovechkin and Penguins with Crosby and Malkin totally outclass them and that is why I hope Rangers win tonight in REGULATION to force Habs to wake up and beat the Leafs on their owntomorrow night and hope Jersey doesn't lose any ground to Pittsburgh. Because I repeat, it will be ugly the Capitals with the cup on their mind facing this Canadiens team who will know coming in that they BACKED IN.

4.33 Goals Against Average vs. those Was and Pit. Thanks for proving my point!

You're not exactly proving your point by railing about the Habs' 4.33 GAA over three games (a small sample size)... out of which they won two, with a GFA of, wait for it, 4.33. Actually, you're not making much sense at all.

Sounds like those teams can score but, during those 3 games at least, the Habs gave as good as they took...

I gave you a sample size of EIGHTY games it was you who said posted those Pittsburgh -Washington scores.

The BEST thing for the Habs did happen tonight, Rangers beat Flyers in REGULATION meaning Habs can with their own skill if they do have it can avoid Washington next week who now has won 5 in a row with one game left to play as they head into the playoffs in top form.

Who you're reading

I'm a freelance sports reporter working in Montreal who has covered the Habs since 2000. I used to be obsessed with the Canadiens by choice, and for free. Now I'm paid to do the same thing. It's pretty sweet.